By IANS
Agartala : Seven tribal separatists have surrendered to authorities in Tripura after fleeing their camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, officials said Wednesday.
A government spokesman said four of the surrendered rebels belonged to the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the rest were from the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF).
The NLFT rebels deposited three grenades, two wireless sets, and 147 rounds of ammunition with the Border Security Force (BSF) in Dhalai district. The ATTF militants surrendered to the state police in West Tripura Tuesday.
The latest surrender brings to 75 the number of militants who have fled their camps in Bangladesh and have laid down arms in Tripura since January. A total of 91 Bangladesh-trained separatists had surrendered in Tripura last year.
"Bangladeshi security forces have stepped up their crackdown against militants from India's northeast, forcing them to sneak into Indian territory and later surrender to authorities here," said J.A. Khan, inspector general of the BSF at the Tripura frontier.